Traveling to California offers many different opportunities.  There are many types of attractions for any time of the year. This article gives some of the best vacations spots in California.

Best Vacation Getaway Locations in California

By Ryan Frank

California spans 840 miles of Pacific coastline, and a wide variety of climate zones. As a vacation destination, the Golden State offers a huge range of options. Cities, mountains, forests, deserts and gorgeous beaches, California has it all. Here are some of the top vacation getaways in the state.

San Diego

The southwestern-most city in California, San Diego is widely known for its year-round perfect Mediterranean weather. San Diego gets sun every month of the year and has some of the most gorgeous beaches in the state, and plenty of great surf spots. Some of the other attractions include the Maritime Museum in the San Diego Harbor, the nightlife (especially in the historic Gaslamp District, the famous Coronado Island, the San Diego Zoo, the Wild Animal Park, and the Sea World and Legoland theme parks.

Big Bear

The area around Big Bear Lake has been a prime outdoors destination in California for years. You can find cabin lodgings and stay at the various campground locations available. Big Bear Lake is located two hours east of Los Angeles by car, and about 7000 feet above sea level, so it’s literally a completely different climate zone than the inland desert that surrounds it. There are plenty of pines and snow every year. Some of the activities that people visit Big Bear for include skiing and snowboarding at Snow Summit, sledding and cross-country snowshoeing, mountain climbing and various water sports in the summer.

Yosemite

Yosemite is one of the most beautiful national parks in the country, and definitely makes for one of the most unforgettable vacation getaways in California. With its breathtaking vistas, epic waterfalls, huge rock monoliths, sequoia forests, lakes and streams for fishing, museums and acres of pristine natural landscapes that are a wonderful break from the stress and bustle of urban life. If you come to Yosemite during the off season, when there are less tourists, you can truly enjoy the peace and solitude that this national park has to offer.

San Francisco

San Francisco is one of the most dynamic cities in California. It is full of culture, history, natural beauty and has an incredible nightlife. San Francisco a perfect vacation getaway if you want to pack in the full range of experiences that California has to offer. Some of the attractions include the historic streetcars, the 14,000 examples of Victorian architecture, Chinatown, the famous Golden Gate Bridge, the Fisherman’s Warf, tours of Alcatraz and much more. San Francisco also has some of the best hotels in the world, each with its own charm and history.

For more great information on California fun in the sun or to book a vacation rental in Mission Beach, CA, please visit http://www.missionbeach.com.

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Image by Jose P Isern Comas via Flickr

Family Friendly Cities and Towns – Best Places to Travel With Kids

By Terry Talim

Child friendly cities can be found all over the world. They provide a wide range of family activities, some educational and others just plain fun. Most child-friendly cities are quite affordable and it is quite simple to get to them.

If we talk about kid friendly cities in the United States, we should say a few words about San Diego.The Wild Animal Park in San Diego is really worth seen. A popular sleepover program called “Roar & Snore” which helps make the other south, the Californian city of the best places in America for a family holiday.You’ll find many attractions and activities in San Diego.There are theme parks, unlimited outdoor sports, great ball League teams, Balboa Park with its museums, and certainly a very beautiful beach.

You can also visit Orlando with its theme parks or Washington, D.C. with all that civics and history, or New York with all the “Big Apple”.

Another place to talk about is Chicago.There are no theme parks or famous landmarks, but still it can be called a kid friendly city. Surely it depends on the interest of a particular child, but for some children, who can appreciate the world-class art, architecture and most incredible iconic American team sports, Chicago is a good choice.The Art Institute, the Cubs at Wrigley, the Skywalk on the 94th floor of the John Hancock building can also impress the children very much.You’ll also come across the elevated trains, water taxis and more than a hundred miles of bike paths.Tourist office of the city has created a special interactive audio guide, which is called ” Chicago for Kids”. It can be downloaded on an iPod or similar device. And of course, you will find lots of useful information there that will not let you be bored in Chicago.

Las Vegas is often called a “Disneyland for adults”. However, there is no end of activities provided for children. So if you plan to stay in Las Vegas for a few days, then first of all you should have the sheer wonder of just wandering around the strip. There is also the Flamingo gardens, fountains of Ballagio, and high-flying circus at Circus Circus. Do not miss the chance to visit M&M’s World Shopping Center Showcase, Mount Charleston, the MGM Grand Lion Habitat, the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at Mirage. Besides there is a fun children’s park at Town Square.

Click here to read more about kid friendly cities and child friendly places to travel.

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